Issues Facing Small Farms in the San Francisco Bay Area

Without food, we would not survive. Food is one of the most important resources of this earth, and yet only 3% of the US population are farmers. The number of farms has decreased over the last 150 years, although the size of most farms and their yields have increased substantially. The average US farm is over 418 acres, and most have just one or two cash crops. This is an issue because most of these huge, cash crop farms are very far away, so it takes more fossil fuel to transport the food to the manufacturers, stores, etc. Many of these farms also do not care for the earth the way a farm should. The practices they are using are not sustainable for the long-term. But there are many small, local, sustainable farms that still exist and are thriving. You just have to look for them.

The 6th Grade of Prospect Sierra Middle School has found some of these small farms. Several of them, actually. Ceja Vineyards, City Slickers, Drakes' Bay, Capay Fruits and Vegetables, Green Gulch, Knoll Farm, McCormack Sheep and Grain, Pie Ranch, Star Route, and Sunol Farm are all under the size of 4,000 acres, some substantially less; Knoll Farm is just 10 acres. Some of these farms are organic, and some are not completely. However, they all actively try to support the land environmentally and economically by using sustainable practices.

The sixth graders have been learning about sustainable farming and the issues and hardships surrounding it. They worked together in researching, interviewing, and even doing hands-on farm work to learn more about what it takes to be a sustainable farmer. Each group went on field trips to a different farm and interviewed the farmers and workers to find out more about the issues farmers face. The sixth grade classes also each spent a week living and working on a biodynamic farm, Live Power Farm in Covelo, CA. There they actually did farm work, including plowing, harvesting, making compost, and taking care of the animals. They discovered that there are a great number of things to think about as a farmer, such as the effect of global warming, the health of the workers, and the financial situation of the farm. There are three specific categories the sixth grade researched: society, environment, and economy. This helped them really understand on a personal level how hard it is to be a farmer.

The sixth grade students hope that this website will be used for the good of farming, to educate people about the joys as well as some of the difficulties involved in sustainable and organic farming. The food we eat is one of our most vital assets, and we need to support sustainable food systems.

What’s our project?

Watch the sixth graders share about their experiences with the farms

by Evelyn Goessling

Follow the links below to learn more about the San Francisco Bay Area Farms we visited.